Sachs Family Foundation
Sachs Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Illinois, Colorado, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Key facts about Sachs Family Foundation
In short: Sachs Family Foundation gave $824K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $37K), top state Illinois. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-2648455
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $824,239
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- Average grant
- $37,465
- Median grant
- $17,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (11 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Total assets
- $8,926,631
- Primary geography
- Illinois (46% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$8.9M
-10.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$824K
+2.8% YoY
Grant Count
22
+22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$37K
-15.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sachs Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $506K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Sachs Family Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 22 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $49K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 165% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated work spans animal welfare, education, family services, health care innovation, arts and culture, and other areas. For example, PAWS Chicago describes its work as helping homeless and at-risk pets through spay/neuter, medical, and adoption programs. Hope Chicago says it provides access to debt-free postsecondary education and support for Chicago Public School students and their parents. The Family Institute describes its mission as strengthening and healing families and individuals through clinical service, education, and research.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $824,239. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $166,666, with a median grant of $17,500. Among the largest were $166,666 to Thome Nature Centre, $146,500 to PAWS Chicago, $100,000 to American Jewish Committee, $75,000 to Hope Chicago, and $64,073 to Goodman Theater.
Other reported 2024 grants included $50,000 to The Family Institute, $35,000 to Boulder Junior Cycling, $25,000 each to New York Presbyterian Fund and NIU Foundation, and $20,000 each to Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Sachs Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 46% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 33% to Colorado, 15% to New York, 2% to Texas, and 2% to Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $159K (2022) to $875K (2020). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $824K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Thome Nature Centre ($167K). Together the top 10 received $707K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 65 (74%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thome Nature Centre Lafayette, CO | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $166,666 |
| Paws Chicago Chicago, IL | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $146,500 |
| American Jeweish Committee New York, NY | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Hope Chicago Chicago, IL | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $75,000 |
| Goodman Theater Chicago, IL | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $64,073 |
| The Family Institute Chicago, IL | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $50,000 |
| Boulder Junior Cycling Boulder, CO | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $35,000 |
| New York Presbyterian Fund Inc New York, NY | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $25,000 |
| NIU Foundation DeKalb, IL | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $25,000 |
| Boulder Museum of Contemp Art Boulder, CO | To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,926,631 | $677,565 | $928,166 | $824,239 |
| 2023 | $9,929,779 | $165,609 | $875,999 | $801,642 |
| 2022 | $7,536,594 | -$29,512 | $244,282 | $159,481 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,926,631 | $9,929,779 | $7,536,594 |
| Revenue | $677,565 | $165,609 | $-29,512 |
| Expenses | $928,166 | $875,999 | $244,282 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $834,039 | $801,642 | $163,906 |
| Net Investment Income | $583,766 | $202,254 | $180,540 |
| Distributable Amount | $506,022 | $450,228 | $441,151 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura Sachs as president and director, David Sachs as secretary and director, and Michael Burke as treasurer and director.
Sachs Family Foundation is led by Laura Sachs, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laura Sachs
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Sachs
Secretary & Director
Treasurer & Director → Secretary & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Burke
Treasurer & Director
Secretary & Director → Treasurer & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 152, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 715-2450
Frequently asked questions about Sachs Family Foundation
How much does Sachs Family Foundation give each year?
Sachs Family Foundation gave $824K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $802K across 18 grants.
What is Sachs Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sachs Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $17,500, and its average grant was $37,465, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sachs Family Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does Sachs Family Foundation give grants?
Sachs Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (33%) and New York (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants), Boulder, CO (5 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Sachs Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Sachs Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Enhance the Purpose of the Organization" (22 grants).
Who are Sachs Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sachs Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Thome Nature Centre ($166,666), Paws Chicago ($146,500) and American Jeweish Committee ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sachs Family Foundation?
Sachs Family Foundation reported $8.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $834K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $506K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sachs Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated work spans animal welfare, education, family services, health care innovation, arts and culture, and other areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sachs Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sachs Family Foundation's EIN?
Sachs Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2648455. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sachs Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Sachs Family Foundation by hand.
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